Deep Blue Devotion #2 - Why My Bible Looks Like a Coloring Book

Deep Blue Devotion: a series of biblically creative helps

for enhancing intimate times with the Lord and

deepening personal discipleship.

As you can tell from my blog title (Light Blue) I'm a color-attuned person. And as such I began a Bible-reading practice in college of using colored pens to underline the words of Scripture as I read. It was encouraging to me this week to meet a brother in Christ who did the exact same thing. This has inspired me to share this in this week's DBD about coloring in your Bible.

The year was 2003. The Iraq War began. Scientists mapped 99.9% of the Human Genome. And Coldplay's "Clocks" was in heavy rotation on radio stations. Half-inspired by a shiny-new package of multi-colored G2 pens, the other half from devotional helps someone gave me, I took the new Bible I bought for myself, took a spin through the Scriptures using the DJ Bible Reading Plan for the first time and employed my use of color thusly:

Crimson: Christ-centered or theologically resonant statements

Light Blue: explicit passages of promise and hope

Black: Sobering passages of judgement of justice

Green: Calls and inspirations to personal growth and spiritual formation

Blue: Wisdom or Proverbial statements

Purple: Unadulterated praise to God

That just happened to be the colors contained in that particular package (there was also a pink pen, but I gave it to my sister. Nothing personal against pink, but, yeah...). There are many other pen colors and highlighters out there, but these just seemed to be the ones that stuck with me. There are myriad passages where the colors criss-crossed because of the richness and multifaceted nature of God's Word.

And as I still use that same Bible in lesson preparation and teaching, it is helpful to my teaching and to my heart to have these color-coded reminders of the variety and beauty of God's Word to us.

You don't have to use my color assignments or systems. You may have your own or another idea of marking in such a way as to remind you of truth in the Word (if so, please send it on). But the most important thing is to be reading and interacting with the Bible. It's okay to write (or color) in your Bible.

For me it's been essential.

-jsm-

Deep Blue Devotion #1 - Bible Reading

|| Deep Blue Devotion: a series of biblically creative helps

for enhancing intimate times with the Lord and

deepening personal discipleship. ||

Good intentions often fail for simple lack of planning.

One of the best intentions of most Christians is reading the Bible all the way through. But most of us putter out and lose focus, direction, and discipline around Leviticus. Just bein' honest.

Living as a disciple means continually going to the Source of spiritual nourishment and strength. We cannot survive as disciples if we are not having our minds continually renewed by the Word of God as revealed in Scripture.

One of the best helps I have found and utilized to fashion this spiritual discipline in my life is the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. It is a flexible-yet-structured approach to reading Scripture. You can begin at any time during the year with as many as four readings and as few as one for each day. The plan grants 25 reading days a month, so there is plenty of leeway if you miss a day or two. Or if you find yourself on the 25th of the month having completed all the readings, you may wish to go back and look over the truths you took in or journaled.

Whether you use the DJ reading plan or simply Google "bible reading plans" and find another, the most important discipline is to come to the Word as the Psalmist: "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" (Ps. 42:1-2)

As you approach the Word, ask that God would reveal to you His quenching truth and that you would not walk away the same. I pray with you in this.

-jsm-

Discipleship One-on-One

Disciple-making in a one-on-one context is a constant study and practice for me. What follows here are key lessons learned in my pursuit of the discipline of discipling a brother in Christ in a one-on-one setting.

1. I must first be a disciple myself.

If I fail to put myself daily under the Lordship of Christ Jesus, constantly recognizing my own desperate need for Him to change me, then I've no business trying to lead a younger spiritual brother in the same endeavor. With my pursuit of Christ comes the humility that will be so crucial to my personal growth in Him. I am forever a student-follower of Jesus, so I am first a foremost a disciple who commits himself to demonstrating humility and transparency. It is this mindset which is most crucial in discipling a brother one-on-one.

2. I must establish a friendship with the man who would be my disciple.

Recommendation or rebuke apart from relationship will quickly end any one-on-one discipling endeavor. This is why the selection of a disciple should mirror the aspects of Christian friendship. My disciple is not my patient or client. He must first and foremost be my friend, otherwise anything I say to him will be only as a doctor dispensing a prescription rather than a trusted confidant enacting a spiritual transfer of knowledge and experience. This means I must decide to commit time to him even outside of our set meeting time each week (see below for practicals on meeting times). Whether it is a short text or email message, a phone call, a lunch, a dinner in my home with my family, or perhaps a weekend of camping together, I must look for ways to build a friendship with my disciple. This will be a constant and continual process. Choose to love your way into this man's world. And open your world to him.

3. Based on my disciple's needs, I select books and resources to help him grow in Christ.

No two people are the same. It therefore stands that no two disciples are the same. One man's needs may not be another's. One man may need help growing as a called pastor. Another requires help in the disciplines of the spiritual life. Yet another seeks guidance because of a particular sin struggle. And your disciple may have all of the above. Either way, it is crucial to know the personality and spiritual standing of your disciple before launching headlong into a stodgy curriculum. Disciple-making is organic, not mechanic.

Because of this I usually tell any man I'm discipling my full testimony, all the good, bad, and ugly and how Christ rescued and rescues me from it all. I then invite him to tell me his at our next meeting, again, with the focus being on Jesus Christ's work in our lives. This teaches testimony-telling and models a Christ-centered example of sharing one's story. It also establishes trust, friendship, and will help you understand the story in which your disciple has lived and is living. Testimonies may take two sessions together or more. Time is a luxury you should afford yourself at the outset.

Another helpful tool I use within the first three meetings together to help me know areas in which to mentor is the Myers-Brigs personality assessment. This helps me know how my own personality interacts with that of my disciple as well as helping me recognize any potential tendencies or propensities on his part. You can find the assessment here.

4. Meetings should be consistent, intentional, prayerful, and full of Scripture.

A weekly meeting is strongly recommended, allowing at least two hours of time to meet together. Though it may not always run as long as that and may possibly at times run longer, try to pick a time for you both that is fairly open if the Holy Spirit moves. The importance of meeting weekly (with outside times to get together to "hang out") relays a sense of commitment on your part and also teaches your disciple responsibility, while providing stability. Men do not open up if they do not feel safe. A consistent meeting establishes the necessary security for the relationship to flourish. I prefer to disciple men either at my home office or church office, as these are secluded spots allowing for freedom in conversation and prayer. And it makes the statement that I'm letting them into my world.

The meeting must always be intentional. Make it known that the commonalities and interests between you can be discussed at one of the other outside times, but the time spent together each week is for spiritual growth. As the lead discipler, you set the agenda based on the spiritual needs of your disciple. It is imperative that purposeful connection through discussion and Christian brotherhood be the center of the discipleship.

Pray before each session privately. Pray God uses the time wisely and guides you and the disciple. Pray together before the session starts. Pray together, sharing prayer requests, at the close of each session. Corporate prayer bonds believers. It must be a constant and important part of your time together.

Scripture must be a part of all you do. Whether it is correction, rebuking, or training, the Word of God must be at the center. If it is a rebuke, then it must be one using Scripture. Same with correction. If it is training, even if another book of Christian literature is being used, it must be lashed to Scriptural principles. Talk with one another about the Bible reading you are experiencing. Memorize Scripture together each week. These are non-negotiables for the disciple and the discipled.

5. Durations of Discipleship Vary

I may disciple one man for six months. Another for two years. Again, no two discipling relationships will look the same. Ask God to guide you in knowing when it is time to release your disciple. You will sense the Holy Spirit telling you it is time to release this man to go make other disicples. But also be open to Him directing you to go deeper and perhaps for a longer duration. The Lord is Master of your discipling relationship. It is He who calls the shots, not you. So it is He who will tell you both when the parting must take place.

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In closing, this has been but a brief summation of my approach to one-on-one discipleship. I, like you, will be forever a student in this discipline.

-jsm-

Barna's "Growing True Disciples" Gives Biblical Strategies, Not "New" Ones.

George Barna’s Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ was a pleasant surprise. I have not enjoyed many of Mr. Barna’s latest offerings but found Growing True Disciples to be a refreshing and challenging call to first be a disciple and then a disciple maker. The “new strategies” promised in the books’ subtitle is a bit of a misnomer, however. I quickly discovered Barna was in fact arguing for a very old strategy for making disciples: that model that Christ Himself gave us.

My favorite aspect of this book is the author’s continued emphasis on being radically sold out for Christ, so much so that He is that to which we are most “absolutely, fanatically devoted” (p. 99). This is a theme presented in the first chapter that runs as a coursing river through the manuscript. He then assesses the current state of discipleship, finding our myriad of programs and church “ministries” lacking when it comes to producing truly lasting and life-long Christ followers. He compares the modern church to the example of Christ and the original disciples in chapter 4. There are disturbing numbers presented here: “Less than one quarter of all born-again adults,” writes Barna, “consciously strive to make worship part of their lifestyle.” I doubt many pastors could disagree with the assertion or the numbers backing it up. What is also concerning in the presentation here is that many Christians don’t believe much differently from secular progressives on some key issues (i.e. definition of family, pornography, etc), and an alarming number of Christians do not hold to such essential doctrines at biblical accuracy or actuality of the miracles performed therein (p. 65).

Perhaps most pointed is chapter 5. In it he diagnoses the cause of our discipleship dearth as failure to our overemphasis on programmed, lecture-style education and an abundance of ill-trained small group leaders (p. 94). He does offer a slight glimmer of hope near chapter’s end, though I found his few encouraging words at this point seemingly ineffective when measured against his greater multitude of words to the contrary

The rest of the book focuses on two dozen churches Barna has studied. The author commends these models to the reader with a welcome balance of pros and cons (pp. 105-132). Barna’s candid and insightful analysis is one of the strengths of the book and a good reason for recommending it to pastors and ministry leaders. This fits with Barna’s assertion: “one of the practices I witness in every highly effective church I study is that they borrow great ideas from every place they find them.” This is a good recommendation tempered with the important recommendation to “hybrid” (p. 157) the models copied, fitting them to the specific needs of your church and people.

Augustine As Mentor

While Smither's Augustine as Mentor reads much like a doctoral thesis (which I'm told was its origin), it is an important look at how one of the great spiritual leaders in history placed discipleship at the center of his life.

The history of discipleship provided by the book's first chapter is worth the price of admission alone. Succinct, rich, and well-researched, the opening chapter lays an important historical understanding of just what it means to be a NT disciple and disciple-maker. I can see the information from this chapter being used to lead church members to a better understanding of biblical discipleship. This first chapter fits within the context of this mostly biographical work, but it can also stand alone as one of the better treatments on biblical discipling that I have read.

The book spends a great deal of space in defining those men who mentored and inspired Augustine; Cyprian, Basil, and Ambrose featuring most prominently. Though the information is extensive, there is a repetition to the discipleship styles and information here. The up side is that one can see this strand of disciple-making mentoring run through the ancient church and influence its people. The down side to this treatment is that it can tend to bog down the reader in repetition.

The second half of the book is a biography of Augustine made a disciple and disciple-maker, with a special emphasis on his continual community of friends and its importance to his ministry.

The book closes with a final chapter of helpful summary points made throughout the work.

With exception of the first chapter on the history of discipleship, this is not the most crucial discipleship book on the market. But it is an incredibly well-researched look at the mentoring methods of a great Christian leader. Great ancillary reading on disciple-making.

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Some rough outlines I made from information gleaned in the book:

Augustine on Christian Friendship

"caritas" is a love for God and neighbor as modeled by the Trinity.

Distinctives of Christian friendship:

- a friend is loved unconditionally because of Christ in him

- it is a bond that is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

- it is completely focused on God and the friends' fight for sanctification

- it is characterized by a common faith

Outcomes of Christian friendship:

- unity, "one heart in God"

- wonderful experience and a blessed outcome (Ps. 182)

- spiritual growth of community

On the Mentor As Disciple

- commitment to ascetic living in the context of community

- humility regarding what one does not know or understand, inviting others' input. Pride is continually killed.

- continuous theological development. the mentor as disciple is forever a student.

- writing (journaling, written works to aid disciples)

- lifelong commitment to growing as a disciple through demonstrating humility and transparency.

Mentor/Disciple Principles

- group context is always considered

- the mentor must be a committed, mature disciple

- selection of a disciple is based on existing relationship/friendship

- sound teaching is the center of discipling direction

- the discipler is a model fit for imitation by his disciple

- the discipler looks for opportunities to involve his disciple in practical ministry

- the discipler is aware that he will release the disciple to lead ministry

- the discipler is a continual resource to the released disciple

The Longest Yard: Making Disciples

Take a yardstick.

And break it in half.

Keep going until you have the smallest piece possible and you'll begin to get an idea of how we measure success in discipling.

We work in

very.

small.

increments.

Our job is discipleship: being disciples and making disciples. We are to pursue Christ and develop believers from Fort Worth to Calcutta. Just know what you're getting into: the fact track works as well in disciple making as it does in growing roses or godly children, in building muscles or a healthy marriage. There's just no way to microwave church members to maturity. And there's no spiritual steroid we can inject to get juiced for Jesus. No one song, sermon, or small group will change the world in one fell swoop. And they were never intended to do so. These exist to call us up to living in such a way that we daily cause, in ever-increasing increments, Kingdom growth.

In doing the true work of making disciples, all we've got is a lot of tough, emotionally-draining, physically-demanding, Spirit-dependent, back-breaking labor. And this is work that most of us, if we're doing our duty rightly, will never receive any credit for in this world. The human race will care little that you lay your heart down to love your way into the world of an unlovable. No one will stop to give you praise for waking up at Five AM to read your Scriptures. Or applaud your early morning or middle-of-the-night intercession on behalf of a spiritual brother. And no one needs to.

In Luke 17:7-10, Christ talks about the master of an unworthy servant: "Does [the master] thank the servant because he did what was commanded?" Jesus asks. "So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say 'We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty.'" At the end of the day when your head hits the pillow, at the end of your life when the dirt hits the casket, that's all you've got: You were an unworthy servant doing only what the Master commanded of you.

Jesus demands you be His disciple and a disciplemaker.

That's your task.

Wear yourself out.

A bottom-line fixated society that measure success in charts won't get this. Some within the Body of Christ don't get it either. Both will fault us for appearing too slow. They'll complain we didn't capitalize on the trend fast enough. We didn't hit the right market for the message we're bringing. We aren't getting enough people in the seats.

But I remind you, brothers and sister in Christ, we're in the business of love. And love takes time if it is to be truly lasting. Spirit-directed discipleship is the most difficult work of your life. And it's worth every bit of sweat, tears, and blood you put into it.

Discipling relationships aren't slapdash. They take time. Years. There are very few overnight results in discipleship, but there are plenty of lasting ones. Take heart that our influence and dedication aren't measured in flow charts or church budgets, leaps or bounds, but in lives slowly consistently lived and changed for Christ over the years and decades.

Stop and Look at a Rockwell

Norman Rockwell, the famed painter and iconic cover artist for The Saturday Evening Post, grew up in a hard, tough tenement neighborhood in Manhattan where he would sit on the rooftops and watch the street gangs bloody each other. A far cry from the pictures he painted that still provide a comfort and ease most never experienced. Including Rockwell.

Though many of the pictures are unrealistic of how Americans truly ever lived, they create in the viewers a sense of the way things should be....

That old friends still get together.

That the worst case a doctor can treat is a black eye.

That grandmothers still pray at public restaurants with their grandsons.

And even that the nerdy guy can still get the girl(s).

Every picture told a story. Rockwell gave us the beginning, middle, or end, respectively. The rest was up to us. And we knew that no matter what point we came into the tale it would have a happy ending.

Rockwell's pictures are pure escapism, but they are a calming and hopeful one; a reminder of a simpler, kinder world...even if that world never truly existed. I still find that every once in a while it helps to turn off the news, close my laptop, put down one of the myriad books in the reading stack, pick up one of the several coffee-table-sized collections of Rockwell's work and get lost in the story for a few minutes.

Some favorites I hope you enjoy as much as I do:

"How Useless Stories Become Useful" - The Story from Philemon

Preached 9.27.2009 at Normandale Baptist in Fort Worth.

You can watch the first ten minutes here or follow this link to the full video or audio download.